Flashlight



July 19, 1960 J. F. GILLESPIE 2,945,944

FLASHLIGHT Filed Sept. 11, 1958 ENTOR ATTORNEYS U ited States Patent FLASHLIGHT James Flowers Gillespie, 2605 Wise St., Portsmouth, Va.

Filed Sept. 11, 1958, Ser. No. 760,344

1 Claim. (Cl. 240-1068) By way of explanation, it might be stated that the flood light projected from the conventional flashlight is insuflicient to illuminate distant objects in dark and remote locations for inspection purposes.

It is, therefore, the primary object of the present invention to provide a flashlight wherein the flashlight bulb and batteries are mounted within an inner flashlight casing in such a. Way that the flashlight bulb may be adjusted with respect to the reflector to cause the light rays projected from the flashlight bulb to be spread over a large area as a flood light -for normal illumination, or

constricted and confined to an area for spot illumination at a distance.

An important object of the invention is to provide a flashlight of the character having a switch member which is so constructed and arranged that the switch member may be operated to effect movement of the inner tubular member to accomplish the adjustment of the flashlight bulb toregulate the range of illumination of the light bulb. Y

A further object of the invention is to provide a flashlight emboding an outer flashlight casing in which a reflector is mounted, the reflector having an opening of a diameter to allow a flashlight bulb carried by an inner movable casing to be moved therethrough regulating the range of illumination of the light rays emanating from the light bulb.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinat-ions of parts, hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claim, it being understood that changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a flashlight constructed in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is an elevational view of the inner movable casing of the flashlight.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the reference charactor 5 indicates an outer or main flashlight casing having a flaredend 6 in which a lens 7 and reflector 8'is mounted.

A lens securing ring 9 is threaded on the flared end of the outer casing and contacts the lens 7, at 10 pressing the lens into contact with the reflector 8 securing the reflector in place.

As shown by Fig. 1 of the drawing, the reflector 8 is provided with an opening 11 in the base thereof, the opening 11 being of a diameter substantially larger than 2 the bulb 12 so that the bulb may be moved within the opening to cause the light rays to be projected against the reflector 8 at a point adjacent to the opening for spot illumination, or the bulb may be extended through the opening 11 to cause the light to be scattered or spread for illuminating a larger or wider area.

An inner movable casing 13 is mounted for movement longitudinally within the outer flashlight casing 5, a large portion of the side wall of the casing 13 being open permitting batteries 14 to be positioned within the inner casing 13, the batteries 14 being biased towards the bulb 12 for contact therewith, by a spring 15 disposed between the bottom of the outer flashlight bulb casing *5 and inner casing 12, as better shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing.

The spring 15 also provides means for forcing the disc 16 into contact with the end wall 17 of said inner casing 13, holding the bulb 12, which is mounted in an opening of disc 26, in position at the illuminating end of the flashlight.

The reference character :18 indicates a switch which has one end thereof connected in circuit with the inner casing 13 that in turn is in circuit with the batteries 14 by direct contact in the conventional manner. This switch 18 is constructed of semi-rigid material and is substantially long, as shown by Fig. 1 of the drawing, the end 19 thereof extending through opening 21 of the casing 5 and opening 22 of the inner casing 13,.where the end 19 normally rests adjacent to the socket 20 in which the bulb 1-2 is mounted.

Thus it will be seen that due to this construction the circuit to the light bulb 12 is completed when the end 19 of the switch 18 is moved into contact with the bulb socket 20, which is accomplished by pressing the switch 18 at 23.

When it is desired to move the inner casing 18 within the outer casing, the switch 18 is pressed towards the illuminating end of the flashlight in the direction of the arrow, as shown in Fig. 1, resulting in the bulb 12 being moved to a position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, to the end that the light rays from the light bulb will be spread over a large area for general illuminating purposes.

When it is desired to use the flashlight for spot illumination, the inner casing is moved in the opposite direction so that the light rays are confined to a constricted area of the reflector 8 and projected from the flashlight :for spot light illumination, primarily for illuminating objects at a greater distance.

Having this described the invention, what is claimed A flashlight comprising an outer casing having a stationary reflector formed with a central opening, disposed at one end thereof, said outer casing having a longitudinally disposed opening arranged adjacent to said reflector, an inner casing having an opening registering with said longitudinally disposed opening of the outer casing mounted for restricted longitudinal movement within said outer casing, a light bulb secured to said inner casing at one end thereof, projecting through said central opening of said reflector, said inner casing housing batteries through said opening of the inner casing, adapted to contact said bulb completing the circuit to said light bulb, and said switch arm providing means for effecting movement of said inner casing and light bulb with respect to said reflector, and said switch arm being movable under one end wall of said elongated opening, temporarily holding said inner casing and light bulb against movement longitudinally of said outer casing, varying the position of said lamp bulb with respect to the 1' eflector. i

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS FOREIGN PATENTS Germany Mar. 7, 1936 

